Strange Days

Category: Life

"Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it..."

You've all heard that line before, maybe even more than once or twice. As I'm writing this on a Thursday night at work, I'm looking out my window and scaning the same KC skyline that I had taped to the side of my monitor at my old office from my previous job in Sioux Falls. I'm very goal-centric. I like to tape things to monitors and such to motivate myself. That's why I have my current profile picture taped to my monitor right now. Just kidding. My point is that this is what I worked for over the past year, to move to Kansas City and ask my girlfriend to marry me and get a good job for awhile until I find a better one. I got exactly what I wished for and for that I am thankful. I miss my friends, that's basically the point of this paragraph.

Sometimes you can feel a transition period as it's going on, sometimes you can't. September of 2006 I could tell things were changing, I felt different and unlike any other time in my life. For those that know it goes without saying, for those that don't it was my last month in Sioux Falls. I know I've only been here for about 4 months but at this point I feel so far removed from Sioux Falls. No punch line, that's basically it.

And now we ramble...

The last three years of my stint in my hometown were timultuous to say the least. A couple of failed relationships, jobs, friendships. You name it, I probably had it. I didn't know who I was and finally sort of came in to my own the past year. Or at least I think so. I take it day to day. Now I feel comfortable in my own skin, unlike how I felt 90% of the time in my 26 years of existance.

I'll talk about music for awhile to illustrate my point... I mainly listen to obscure/non-obscure indie music, but I also listent to music like Marvin Gaye, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Miles Davis. Sometimes, I even listen to pop music. ! Crazy, I know. However back to my main music, I don't look the part. I usually dress like a typical guy, button up shirts, jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes. I don't look like an "indie/alternative guy" or however you want to label it. Bascially, I don't look like the kids from high school that wore thrift store clothing and hung out in coffee shops and argued over which Belle & Sebastian album was the best.

I'm cool with the fact that I love football and go crazy for my Huskers. I walked a line of hanging out with people that thought watching the NFL was dumb and others that thought The Replacements were retarded and for scrubs. Like today I'm wearing regular brown tennis-ish shoes (the kind that everyone has now) courduroys, and a Nebraska t-shirt. Needless to say I look like I'm confused. But really I'm not.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't like being labeled as anything anymore after years of searching for one. I play video games (other than Madden and Guitar Hero or Halo), watch a ton of sports, I golf, I play guitar, and I like to write. Sort of odd blend maybe. Maybe not.

Of course, if you like to listen to bad music and drink lots of shitty (Bud Light) beer and act like an asshole, I don't hate you. Not anymore. I just won't give you the time of day. But I won't go out of my way to put you down or make fun of you like some people.

Maybe being in the face of marriage, kids, and a mortgage forces you to relinquish some of the tendencies you had in high school or college. Some people my age still do, and that's fine. I just think it's where a 26/27 year old shouldn't be. I try to distance from current and would-be friends that act like that.

So, do what you like. Watch, read, listen to what you want. Because, people of the world, you won't catch any more flack from this cowboy.

Currently listening : Things Fall Apart By The Roots Release date: By 23 February, 1999

6:15 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	Derek	I cant speak for all of the city, but i will anyway cus im just that cool, but sioux falls misses you too brother. Dont forget we still got a date on the 4th of july. You, me, and the Trannys, hahaha. Posted by Derek on Friday, February 02, 2007 at 8:39 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Big JC	I think what you are saying here is why I have forgiven and forgotten beefs of the past I've had with yourself and the rest of our illustrious clan, as probably ya'll have with me. Time changes, none of really knew who we were, we had the wrong priority set on the wrong things. Now it's nice to know I have know some excellent guys for over a decade that if I am in KC or Reno or Minneapolis or Jacksonville, if some shit goes down, I probably know someone that's got my back. Nicely written piece. Posted by Big JC on Friday, February 02, 2007 at 4:51 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

MontERNa

I got "Things Fall Apart" last summer or fall (I can't remember exactly) and absolutely ADORE it. The title was more than a little appropriate for me when I bought it. ;) It's my theory that your theory is absolutely correct. When we find the things in life that we've really been searching for (whether or not we knew we were searching for those particular things), we don't need anything else in our lives. We're content in our own skin. I had the same experience when I got married - I was 22! Luckily, I've retained most of that even through and after the divorce. And I can't drink beer - dunno why. It makes me barf, even if I just have one. Well, maybe more than one (two has done it), but I'm not taking any chances. I like wine. Does that, too, make me old?? Posted by MontERNa on Friday, February 02, 2007 at 6:10 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]